With the end of The Bachelor's 27th season fast approaching, fans of the ABC dating franchise are already looking ahead to the next installment of The Bachelorette.
Typically, the network picks a star from the current season to star as the lead for the next set of episodes, with casting news then being announced at the the season finale of whichever series is on air at the time.
For example, current The Bachelor star Zach Shallcross was a contestant on the 2022 season of The Bachelorette, with the news of his role being confirmed at the live finale special of Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia's season.
The last season of The Bachelorette featured, for the first time, two women searching for their perfect matches, however, so far, only one of Shallcross' ladies has been rumored to be taking over next season.
ABC is yet to officially comment on which member of The Bachelor's Season 27 cast will be starring in The Bachelorette.
The show is, of course, keeping the news under wraps until it makes the official announcement, but fans think they have already worked out who it might be.
Newsweek has everything you need to know about what clues have been dropped so far about who could potentially be the next star of The Bachelorette.
Who Will Be the Next Bachelorette?
The Bachelorette fans are convinced that Charity Lawson, who was sent home on Monday night's episode of The Bachelor, is the going to be the star of the next season, which will be the show's 20th.
Lawson, 26, works as a child and family therapist in Columbus, Georgia, and has proved a fan favorite during her run on The Bachelor.
After she was sent home by Shallcross, Lawson posted a lengthy caption on her Instagram, where followers think she dropped a clue about her future on the franchise.
Alongside a series of pictures, Lawson reflected on her time on the show, saying: "Through the highs and lows, I grew as a person through it all and was able to discover depths of myself, and that is the true victory."
She also gushed over the Bachelor and the other women, but it was towards the end of the caption where fans think she gave a hint.
Lawson wrote: "Lastly thank you to every single producer, and staff behind the scenes. The love and support never went unnoticed and I will always be appreciative for all that you did for me. Thank you to bachelor nation and all the fans for the love. I LOVE YOU ALL."
"One thing I know is true: the best is yet to come!" she concluded, alongside a white love heart emoji, and a rose emoji - the symbol associated with both The Bachelor and The Bachelorette.
Lawson's followers immediately picked up on the apparent hint, and flooded her comments section with congratulations on what they deemed as a clue about The Bachelorette.
"End of caption screams next bachelorette," wrote one fan, while another wrote: "BACHELORETTE HERE SHE COMES."
"Thanking the producers? Ladies and gentlemen, your next Bachelorette Charity!" added another.
Lawson's Instagram post comes after she recently appeared on the Bachelor Happy Hour podcast, hosted by former Bachelorettes Michelle Young and Becca Kufrin.
In the episode, Young and Kufrin backed Lawson to be the next Bachelorette, with Young saying that she was "manifesting" Lawson for the lead role, while Lawson, of course, kept her lips sealed.
Newsweek has contacted ABC for comment.
Meanwhile on The Bachelor, Ariel Frenkel, Gabi Elnicki and Kaity Biggar are the final three women still in the running to get engaged to Shallcross at the end of the season.
The season finale is expected to air on Monday, March 27.
Until then, The Bachelor episodes continue Mondays at 8/7c on ABC.
About the writer
Laura Donaldson is a Newsweek Film and TV Reporter (SEO), based in Edinburgh, U.K. Her focus is on reality TV. ... Read more
